The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1887-09-08
TURKISH SCHOOLS.
Teaching the Young Idea in the
Ottoman Empire.
The Branches Taught In Pri-
mary and Normal Schools.

Not until Turkish child reaches his
sixth or seventh year does his education
begin and his first day at school is celc-
brated with ceremonies that are unhcard
of in America, says s. s. Cox in Youths
Os..p..iv.. 1vo vsilct suci P~---- 80
to be found as the spirited iron-gray
ponies of the east, and one of these is
gorgeously caparisoned for the new pu-
pill, who is met at his fathers house by
all the school, dressed in holiday
clothes.
A priest makes a short prayer, the
child is placed upon his pony, and the
pupils, males and females, are formed in
double line. The procession moves,
singing hymns as they go, with the little
hero of the day following, and thus he
is initiated into the new world of learn
ing.
In the primary schools boys and girls
are educated together. The teachers
are taken from the priesthood, and from
the graduates of the theological univer-
sities who have learned to read the "Ko-
ran," which is written in Arabic, and
which all good Musselmen must learn
how to read. Persons of this class of
teachers are consequently stringent re-
ligionists, and some of them are quite
fanatical. If the pupil does not acquire
much discipline or information pertain
ing to modern material progress S, it is
because the twig is not bent in that di-
rection.
A primary school is composed of one
or two rooms, or "holes in the wall, >
with three divans for the pupils, and q
scat for the teacher. The pupils sit
cross-legged in line on the divans,
holding their books on their knees and
reciting all at the same time, in loud,
shrillvoicc. They learn grammar and the
four rules of arithmetic.
When they are able to read from the
Koran little, they take up writing, and,
as there are no writing tables or desks,
they hold their copy-books in thcil
hands. This is all they education they re-
ceive in the primary schools
Besides the primary, there are four
superior schools, except the military and
naval schools, and the school of mcdi
cine, established in 1880, and outside Of
these no education is to be had. Wealthy
men engage European teachers to hell
their children in the study Of languages
and modern science; but the common
people have to satisfy themselves with
the little that is to be obtained at the
primary schools. If any one is astonished
that the governing class in Turkey
generally talk French, and often Eng
lish, Greek, Italian and German, it may
be stated that the Turk has an aptitude
like the Russian, for tongues, and make
his necessity the mother of his-study
During the reign of Sultan Abdu
Medjid, some thirty-five years ago, al
effort was made to spread normal school,
throughout the Empire, but without
success. 1t is only during the reign o
the present Sultan that the matter o
education has been earnestly taken up
In the course of eight or nine years, th
Administration of Public Instruction. ha
established throughout the Empire il
Europe, Asia and Africa, three hundred
and eighty-eight primary and norma
schools, and last year there were twenty
thousand and ninety-three students.
Besides these, there are eighty pri
mary and normal schools in CONSTANT
nople, in which there are five hundred
and forty students, two hundred AM
seventy five being in the free school, tn
only one in the empire, and six hundred
and thirty-four in private schools. TIL
programme Of the studies is divided int
four years, and the pupils must recite b
heart, beside writing down the lessons
which include calligraphy, arithmetic
history, grammar and theology. Nor
time, however, is given to the study Q
thc Koran than to anything else.
No account OF the education of youn
Turks would be complete without som
reference to the storytellers of the East
who have as much influence as the pro
fessors of mathematics and history. L
the early training of. the child by it
nurse and tutor, wonderful stories ar
told to him to inculcate moral and rell
gious truths, and by them he is taugh
that he must not be afraid OF death
that he must not be astonished at any
thing, no matter how strange; and tina
he is not obliged to say anything In con
versation that will be against his owl
.rAA